Owl baseball team to play home games Saturday
The University of Maine at Presque Isle baseball team will wrap up its regular season with its first home games to be played Saturday against Central Maine Community College. The doubleheader, to be played at the Presque Isle High School baseball field, begins at 1 p.m.
UMPI plays its final road games Thursday at UM-Farmington, with the doubleheader getting underway at 2 p.m.
The Owls own a 9-24 record following its four-game set over the weekend against Alfred State College in Alfred, N.Y.
UMPI was able to prevail in one of those contests — a 5-4 victory in Saturday’s second game.
The host Pioneers got on the board early in the nightcap as they took advantage of a base hit and three walks to score a first-inning run. Owl starter Andrew Bartlett, a senior from Damariscotta, worked out of a bases loaded, one-out jam to limit the damage.
Alfred State added to its lead in the third to make it 2-0
The Owls answered back in the top of the fourth by loading the bases with one out. Ryan Sanderson, a freshman from Cow Bay, Nova Scotia, scored the first UMPI run on a wild pitch. Tommy Collins, a senior from Pembroke, then singled to right field to bring home another, while Brady Rowe, a senior from Halifax, Nova Scotia, drew a walk to bring home the third run of the inning and in the process knocke the Pioneer starting pitcher from the game.
The lead was short lived as the Pioneers tied the game in the bottom of the inning, but UMPI regained the advantage in the sixth. Saul Nunez, a sophomore from Mapleton, reached base on an error and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After a walk to Collins, Matt Cauchon grounded out but Nunez came across on a throwing error. A failed suicide squeeze bunt ended the inning with the Owls up, 4-3.
The Pioneers tied things up with a run in the bottom of the sixth and in their half of the seventh, Jacob Powell, a freshman from Frankfort, doubled to drive in Sanderson from second base for the go-ahead run. Bartlett held Alfred State scoreless in the bottom of the inning to end the game.
Bartlett struck out three and walk three, while giving up seven hits and four earned runs. Sanderson collected multiple hits once again, this time going 2 for 4 with two runs scored. Powell also went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a double.
The win snapped a six game losing streak for the Owls, simultaneously ending a six-game win streak for the Pioneers.
UMPI dropped its other three games, losing game one Saturday, 4-1, despite two hits each by Sanderson and Collins and a solid pitching performance by Matt Curry, a sophomore from Caribou. The Owls fell twice Sunday by scores of 5-0 and 6-2. Cauchon had the Owls’ only hit in the first game and added two more in the game two loss.
